The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-24
THURSDAY.
Prohibition in Atlanta.

Is total failure, and point to the various
successful devices to evade the law. as evil
dence. Others have with equal emphasis
declared that the law has been enforced.
reforms have been effected. and that sum
ming up the result. it has been as popular
and favorable as was expected. A very
impartial staff correspondent of the New
York Times has been in the South for sew
eral months, giving the Industrial, political
and social interests of that section careful
consideration and conservative Judgment.
AS with all the regular correspondents of
that paper, his statements can be relied
on. and what he says may be taken as the
sober truth, without coloring or prejudice.
He writes to impart instruction and relia-
bic Information to the reader of that jour
mai, and were it ascertaiDed that he had
not adhered closely to facts and had will
fully misstated the situation about which
he writes. his services would be instantly
dispensed with. The following paragraph
in letter from Atlanta, dated Marc 7th.
and found in the Times of March l4th..
referring to the manner in which prohibi-
ton is observed and the effect it has hal
upon the working people, may be accepted
as being as neaT the truth as it is well to
get. We give it for the information of
those who may feel interested in the sub
lect, and as a comparison with various
statements of contrary character, which
have found circulation through the news
papers. The letter is mainly devoted to
a presentation of the industrial condition
of Georgia and other Southern States. and
is one of a series which have been running
through that Journal for the past two
MT nts.
One experiment that is on trial here has al
ready brought good deal of attention this Way
Atantt is one of the many communities of
Georgia where 'local option forbds the sale of
intoXicants. A good deal OF bits rness has
been evoked between the advocates and oppo-
nents OF this rule. and next fall IA ampaign on
the dry and wet issue promises TO lend lots of
Zest to lie. The temperance people pronounce
the new era sort OF millennium: the law is
carried out, they Insist, and atlanta prospsrs
on that account. Contrary-mind people, and
there are good many such. who Ldlk good
deal, aver that The law Is farce, uneXecuted
and operative only as a burden npou tt muni-
cipalily, depriving the City Treasury OF license
fees that could be collected without adding Il
jOt to the extent of the local liquor traffic.
There is sort of Inconsistency, ma, hap in the
of liquor in all the town, while YOU sit down TO
the tables of the first hOtel in he city and the
bill of fare offers you Roman punch. rum ONE
lettes, champagne sauce, and wine jelly while
you are permitted to pay for joy of havin-
American cIaret bite and pucker Your mouth
all out of shape. Then the passer in the street
sees good many swinging doors that have
hints about then, ano the charge that the law
is disregarded seems to have foundation. The
vets say that every man who afford the eX-
pense has a private jug, and where ne used TO
buy by the glass he buys by The gallon or keg
barrel now. And all that may be So too
But against all this testimony the drys may
place the statement that comes 10 me from a
railroad manager. The average workman on
his railroad, he says, used to be in debt IL the
time; it was seldom that the months wages
Ready cash went Tor t1pples; the la mily had 10
go into debt for necessities. 1t ism so any
more. There may galore; there may even be
saloons where quiet rum drinking is encour-
aged but the old array of temptations is gone.
No longer are a half dozen vilationS Haunted
from bar rooms on every block. And we are
paying more money outin a lump at the end of
friend who is neither prohibtionist nor one
who seeks to point morals. II only know that
we seldom have an assignment OF wages now.
Our workmen put in more regular time. They
do more work. And scarce a week goes by that
some wife does not come to the office to say
shat she is happier than ever before and that
there is a lot more comfort in life Now. | do
not say that The prohibition of liquor selling
has caused all this; only do say that it never
Ar. Samuel lnman, one of the puplic-spirited